Waiting on Life
by IFallForGoldenEyes
Summary: AU PostDMC. Davy has still not called off his 'terrible beastie' the Kraken. Jack continues to run and keep to the land after he escapes the shackles and gets away in the longboat, hoping he will see his Pearl again. But how long will that last?
1. Prolouge: A Just Accusation

_**Ok, this story just popped up in my mind when I was considering writing a Sparrabeth. This one basically isn't a Sparrabeth, it's more like they hate each other with this one. I'm gonna disregard that Jack got killed at the end of DMC. He was chained there then got away before the Kraken came. This is post-DMC.**_

_**Disclaimer: I truly don't own pirates, trust me... I mean, wouldn't we ALL like to own it???**_

_**Summary: AU Post-DMC. Davy has still not called off his "terrible beastie" the Kraken. Jack continues to run and keep to the land after he escapes the shackles and gets away in the longboat, hoping he will see his Pearl again. But how long will that last? **_

**Waiting on Life**

PROLOUGE

The longboat hit the shore of the island. Once again, stranded, but this time with a longboat. Elizabeth went off by herself into the jungle. Why hadn't he died?! She was so close to getting rid of the biggest problem in her life, but he'd escaped. Well, he was the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow. He could escape anything. She should know, she'd read all about him, admired him her whole life, that is, until she met him. She remembered that day perfectly...

_I couldn't breath. I felt myself hit the water and sink faster and faster. I was losing conciousness. Then, I felt arms close around my waist. I barely registered coming up to the surface and sinking down again. The person pulled my dress off from around me. We came up to the surface and I felt myself being laid on a hard surface. Everything was spinning. Just when everything was about to go dark, someone slit my corset strings. I coughed up all the water and looked up at my rescuer. Was that...?_

_"Clearly you've never been to Singapore..." I dully heard him say. _

_He looked down at me then picked up the necklace I forgot I had hanging around my neck. "Where did you get that?" he asked, clearly amazed._

_His gaze slowly traveled up to a sword in front of his face. "On your feet." the commodore ordered. My rescuer slowly got up and moved backward. My father helped me up and put his coat around me. "Elizabeth, Elizabeth, are you alright?" he asked._

_I was distacted by the pirate standing just feet away. "Yes, yes, I'm fine..." I answered automatically. My father looked weirdly at on of the Navy guards who was holiding my corset. Murtogg motioned towards the pirate. Father was disgusted. "Shoot him."_

_No! "Father! Commodore, do you really intend to kill my rescuer?" I asked him. Norrington's men lowered their weapons. _

_My rescuer smiled at me, clapped his hands together thankfully, and bowed._

_"I believe thanks are in order..." The commodore held out his hand._

_Ah... It was a trap..._

_The other reluctantly extended his hand and his sleeve was flung back suddenly. "Have a brush with the East India Trading Company, did we, pirate?" Commodore Norrington spat out that last word. The pirate winced._

_So I was right. He was a pirate! I admired him already._

_"Keep your guns on him, men. Gilette, fetch some irons." He swiped his sleeve back more. "Ah... Jack Sparrow, isn't it?"_

_It __**was**__ him! It was--- It was--- Captain Jack Sparrow!_

_"__**Captain **__Jack Sparrow, if you please..." _

_"Well, I don't see your ship..., Captain." Norrington mocked._

_"I'm in the market..., as it were." Jack explained._

_"He said he would come to __commadeer__ one." Murtogg confessed._

_"I told you he was telling the truth!" Mullroy cut in. "These are his, sir." he continued, showing the commodore Jack's weapons._

_The commodore went through Jack's things. "No additional shots nor powder." he said, examining the pistol. He put that down and picked up Jack's compass. "A compass that doesn't point north..." He half unsheathed Jack's sword. "And I half expected it to be made of wood..." Jack smiled at him. "You are without doubt the worst pirate I've ever heard of."_

_Jack gave him a 'But wait' look. "But you have heard of me..." He grinned._

_Commodore Norrington yanked Jack by the arm over to the other side of the pier. The Lieutienant started to put on the handcuffs._

_"Commodore! I really must protest! Pirate or not, this man saved my life!" I pushed away from my father and ran after the commodore._

_"One good deed cannot redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness." the commodore explained to me._

_"But it seems enough to condemn him..." Captain Sparrow cut in._

_"Indeed."_

That day had been so perfect. She had met the man she had admired and read about. And better yet, one of his adventures would be rescuing her! But that perfect moment had ended abruptly when he threatened her...

_"Finally..." He slung his chain around my neck and jerked me backward. "I knew you'd warm up to me." he whispered in my ear. He turned serious again. "Commodore, my effects, please...and my hat ...Commodore!"_

_Commodore Norrington grabbed Jack's weapons and handed them to me. His look he gave me was full of compassion and concern. But it was unrequited. I turned around and looked into Jack's eyes. I hated him at this moment, but I had admired him my whole life. The man who escaped the island he was mutineered on, the man who disappeared under the eyes of seven agents of the East India Trading Company, the man who would now escape again... _

_"Elizabeth, it is Elizabeth, right?"_

_"It's Miss Swann." I answered with all the anger I could muster. I was looking at Captain Jack Sparrow!_

_"Miss Swann, if you'd be so kind..." He smiled at me. "Come, come, dear. We don't have all day..."_

_"Now, if you be __**very**__ kind..." He smiled even more. His eyes bore into me, but all he saw in mine was anger. The anger that was hiding the burning admiration._

_I stuck his gun into his belt and his compass. Then I slammed his hat on his head. I hooked the the belt around him and hooked on his scabbard. He put his head over my shoulder and I swear I could feel him grinning._

_"Easy on the goods, darling." he muttered._

_"You're despicable." I sneered._

_He looked at me, apparently unaffected. He had probably been called worse in his day. "Sticks and stones, love. I saved your life, you save mine. We're square." _

_He turned me around. "Gentlemen," he turned to me, "milady, you will always remember this as the day you almost caught...Captain...Jack...Sparrow!!!"_

_He threw me towards my father. I turned around in just enough time to see him hit a lever to bring him up on a rope._

As Elizabeth thought back to this, she had absentmindedly been walking through the jungle. She snapped out of her daze and found herself in a clearing. Her eyes, for some reason, traveled over to a bush. She swore she could see something red through it. She walked past it, though. A voice made her jump and turn around quickly.

"Why did you try to kill me?"

She turned to see no one other than the man she was just thinking about. Captain Jack Sparrow.

"I said..., why did you try to kill me?" Jack repeated, thinking she hadn't heard.

Elizabeth looked him in the eyes. There was sadness there. Had she caused this? "I...I don't know, Jack..." she finally answered.

"Then why did you try...?"

"I said I don't know Jack!" Elizabeth yelled at him, then covered her mouth and took a few steps back.

Jack was taken aback. He stood up. "I'm sorry. I went too far, love. But you've got to know why... You didn't just wake up thinking 'I'm gonna kill Captain Jack today!' Eh? There's got to be a reason."

"There...is." she stated hesitantly.

"I'm all ears..." Jack sat back down and cocked his head expectantly.

What had been Elizabeth's reason? Why had she chained Jack to that mast?

"What? Were we all supposed to die with you? We're at risk even now! All because you're a coward!" Her voice rose with every word she spoke.

"Ah, so you were trying to be noble, eh? That doesn't make up for the horrible deed, dearie." He stood up and walked around her. "Aye, you may be right about us being at risk because I'm running..." He got inches away from her face. "But _never_ do you call me a coward!"

That last word echoed through the jungle. Elizabeth covered her face, then ran off, leaving Jack to think over what she'd just said.


	2. Hidden Agendas, Part 1

_**Sooooo, here's chapter 2 of Waiting On Life... I'm hoping to get alot more reviews on this one. And by the way, in your review vote what the story's name should be of these four:**_

**Escaping Inescapable **

**(credit goes to Florencia7 **

**Go check out her stories!)**

**Never Far Enough **

**(credit also to Florencia7 **

**And once again, go check out her stories!)**

**Waiting On Life **

**(As it's called now. Credit goes to my **_**best friend**_**, Peyton **

**-he's not a member on here-)**

_**oooooor...**_

**Forever Hunted **

**(credit goes to me!!! **

**I finally thought of my own name for it!!)**

_**Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I know I enjoyed writing it!!!**_

* * *

Chapter 2

_She hates me. She tried to kill me. Being noble was her excuse, but she hates me. She called me a coward and she hates me. But she also called me a good man. Does she really--_

"She called me a coward." Jack sighed to no one in particular.

Will, who had been there the whole time, sat down beside him. "Elizabeth?"

Jack nodded his head slowly. "Well, I can't say I entirely disagree with that accusation..." He looked down. "You did try to wriggle your way out of your debt with Jones."

Jack didn't respond.

"Look, I'm sorry for the part I played in the fight for the key. We could've compromised. You could've made Jones call off the Kraken, then I could've freed my father. We should've allied against Norrington. He was the real threat. Now, because we were too worried about fighting each other, Norrington, and probably now Beckett, has the heart!"

Jack finally looked up. "And...I guess I'm sorry for knocking you out with an oar." he mumbled.

"Hey, well, it was payback for what I did to you..." He looked at Jack's baffled face. "...At Isla de Muerta..."

"Ah! That! You know, William, that wasn't very nice..."

Will patted his own leg, then stood up. "Neither were you." he said and walked away. He looked back at the depressed captain. _I won't play by the rules of engagement this time, Jack. _he thought. He smirked. _I'll get the _Pearl _and free my father. And I swear I'll find a way to pay you back..._

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* * *

An hour later, Jack was back to his normal self. He swaggered by everyone who were making themselves comfortable on the island. He paid no attention to any of them, except a certain Elizabeth Swann. 

"Oi! What are you doing?" he slurred.

Elizabeth stopped what she was doing and looked up. "Jack!" she fussed. "Where did you get rum?"

"Who said...I said...That I said...about rum?" he answered slowly.

"Yep." ELizabeth threw her hands up. "You're drunk!"

He swayed back and forth.

"Just how many bottles did you have?"

"Three...four...nine?...I lost track..."

"And to think I said you were a good man..." Elizabeth sighed.

"Hide the rum." Will whispered to her.

" 'Ey! That sounds familiar!" Jack said before he fell over.

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* * *

_While the Kraken was taking down the _Pearl...

"Ha! The captain goes down with his ship." the urchin-like crewmember said.

"Turns out not even Jack Sparrow can best the devil!" a hammer-head shark-headed one agreed.

"Jack Sparrow..." Davy Jones started. "our debt is---" He whipped his head around and his eyes locked on a longboat. "He got away-ah!" Davy yelled at his crew, his face twinging in fury.

"What do we do, Cap'n?" a coral-like crewmember asked in his low, mysterious voice.

"The Kraken is still taking down the _Pearl_-ah! By the time it's done, they be long gone-ah! Plus," Davy Jones turned to him and grinned. "I want Sparra' to suffer..." He paused then his smile faded. "Wait, open the chest." he ordered. They just stood there. "Open the chest-ah! I need to see it!" he shouted. He pushed through his slow crew and got to the chest. He slammed it open and staggered back at what he saw.

Nothing. There was nothing in the chest.

He unleashed his fury and screamed at the sky, "Curse you, Jack Sparrow!!!" He whipped his head around to the crew. "Death be owed to any man who disturbs me in my Captain's Quarters!" Then he turned on his heel and hobbled down below...

* * *

"Remind me _never _to drink that much rum again..." Jack mumbled to Elizabeth. 

It was a few minutes after he'd woken up. He was sitting by Elizbabeth on the beach. Everyone else had gone to get supplies in the jungle, so it was only them there.

"And, why, if I may ask, were you drinking that much rum?" Elizabeth asked him.

"Do you really want to know, dear?" Jack narrowed his eyes at her and moved his face closer to hers.

"Of course!" she answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Well, then..." He flashed her a sly grin. "The reason I drank so much is because of what you called me..."

Elizabeth's face froze in anger, shock, and offense in an expression that said, "you've got to be kidding me!" "So," she finally replied. "the whole reason you were drunk out of your senses with over 5 bottles of rum is because I called you a coward?!"

"Which I'm not!" Jack yelled, standing up.

Elizabeth stood up and narrowed her eyes, getting in his face. "Oh, I think you are..."

"You do know I have a pistol in my belt, love?" Jack told her. And he meant it. He wasn't afraid to use that pistol on her. After all, she had tried to kill _him_. Why shouldn't he get revenge?

"Go ahead." she spat at him. "Shoot me." she challenged. She had a smirk on her face the whole time.

Jack cocked the pistol and aimed it right at her heart. There wasn't the least bit of fear in her eyes, which scared Jack. Didn't she think he could really shoot her? He put pressure on the trigger, but at the last second stopped, and threw the gun to the side.

"Ha! You ran away from the Kraken and now you can't even kill someone who tried to kill you..." She laughed. "You really _are_ a coward..." she whispered and walked away.

Jack wasn't daunted. He pursued her. "That's because I'm not heroic, love. Doesn't make me a coward..." _It also doesn't make me a good man..._ He pushed the thought away quickly. "I'm not a hero." He grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him. "I'm a pirate!"

She rolled her eyes and kept on walking.

"And, we, as pirates, aren't s'posed to be heroic. We're supposed to rifle and pillage and loot and embezzle...and whatever bloody else that song says! ...Burn up the city... Stuff like that, love. Eh?"

She stopped walking and turned around. The sudden stop made Jack have to step back and wave his arms around to keep balance. "So, no heroes amongst thieves, then?"

"You know, your precious Will asked me the same exact thing before! And do you know what I tol' 'im?" He took a step closer to Elizabeth with every word he said. Elizabeth shook her head slowly and backed up a step every time he took one. "I tol' 'im..." He got inches away from her face and grinned. "...he was well on his way to becoming one." He raised his eyebrows. "Eh?"

Elizabeth's jaw dropped. "Will's not---" she started to exclaimed. Jack "shh"-ed her.

"Will _is_ a pirate..." He grinned widely.

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* * *

"Now that we have the heart, maybe we can finally end this pirate threat and the world will be safe again." Beckett told Mercer. 

"But what of this James Norrington? Should we trust him? He knows of the heart...and the chest." Mercer asked.

"For right now," Cutler Beckett stood up from his desk and walked around the front of it. "He could be a very valuable assett..." He walked toward Mercer slowly. "But if he shows any signs that he's a traitor or even _thinking_ about getting near the heart..." Beckett trailed off.

"I know what to do." Mercer assured him.

"Good. Now let's stop this threat for the last time..." Lord Beckett walked out of his room and quickly across town to the gallows. He stopped at the fort and turned to see thousands of pirates -men, women and children- already ready to hang. "Very good."

He then sat down to watch as the biggest threat in the Carribean died...

One person at a time.


	3. Hidden Agendas, Part 2

_**Disclaimer: I mean, I really wouldn't MIND owning the character Will (seeing as I'm in love with him and the Elizabeth of the real world), but the sad truth is... I do not own Jack, Elizabeth, Davy Jones, Beckett, Mercer, "Bootstrap", WILL, or anyone else...but I DO OWN their thoughts! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!**_

_**Here's th' third installment o' Waiting On Life!!! ( second chapta' technic'ly, love). Through a series of unforseeable set of circumstances "that have nothing to do with me", I've been press-ganged into a new pirates fix. I be talkin' like a pirate now and I FREQUENTLY use the Jack walk and accent. Eh, love? So, here be me chapta'. Savvy?**_

Hidden Agendas, Part 2

A lone organ rang out across the _Flying Dutchman_. The familiar tune soothed the captain as he banged on the keys. He looked over at his music box and stopped playing. _Calypso..._ he thought angrily. She was the one who condemned him to this fate in the first place! He knocked the music box across the room and it hit the wall with a satisfying _bang!_. No sooner than he had hit it, Davy was at the wall picking up his beloved music box. He ran his sea-encrusted hand across, letting the music play and soothe him.

* * *

Will watched in silence with clenched fists as Jack and Elizabeth fought. "I'm not a hero." Will heard Jack say. But when Jack grabbed Elizabeth's arm, a fire lit up in his eyes. But he stayed secluded behind the trees. "I'm a pirate!" Jack finished. Will saw Elizabeth roll her eyes and walk away.

There was just something about the way they interacted...

Jack recited some things from a song and explained that _that's _what pirates should do. Elizabeth repeated something Will had said a long time ago and this perked his interest. But Jack made it worse by implying Elizabeth was becoming a pirate herself! Will was about to walk away, when he heard his name. He spun back around and crouched behind a rock.

"Will is not---" Elizabeth started.

Jack "shh"-ed her. "Will _is_ a pirate..."

That's when Will could take it no longer. He jumped out of the foliage and ran to Elizbaeth's side "I am not a pirate." he told Jack boldly.

"Dear whelp, what you do not understand is...you are!" Jack replied, grinning from ear to ear.

Both Will and Elizabeth unsheathed their swords dramatically. "_Another_ three way fight?! Will, I thought we had this discussion earlier!"

"Ah, Jack, but, you see, this is different. It's two against one." Will replied.

"And who would be that unlucky one? Hmm?" Jack unsheathed hsi sword and crashed it against theirs.

"You!" Elizabeth lunged at Jack. He blocked her blow, then spun around to slash at Will. Will dove, rolled, came up, and swiped at Jack. A quarter of one of his dreadlocks went falling to the ground. Jack turned on Will in fury and swung at him forcefully. Every swing, it was getting harder for Will to block Jack. After the fourth swing, Jack pressed Will's sword with his own. Jack had a bit more strength than him and Will started to lose his grip...

That's when Elizabeth jumped in and knocked the sword out of Jack's hand. He backed up, his hands held high in surrender. "I won this fast, Jack? Well, there must be something wrong with you!" Elizabeth chuckled.

"Ah, but ye haven't won yet, love. Have ye?" He whisked around and suddenly grabbed a piece of firewood from the still-burning fire. "Ha!" He lunged at them, the burning wood in hand.

Will laughed and sheathed his sword. "Face it. You've already lost, Jack."

But Jack Sparrow still had one trick up his sleeve. He had already dashed over to a palm tree before either could notice. He jumped up, grabbed a branch, and a coconut fell from it. He swiftly picked it up, and, in one single fluid movement, hurled it and hit Will square between the eyes. The lad was out cold. He fell over with a resounding "thud."

"There. The problem has been taken care of. Now..., where were we? ...Ah! Yes... I was just telling you that Will is, in fact, a pirate."

But Elizabeth wasn't listening to a thing Jack was saying. She was too occupied kneeling by Will's side, begging him to wake up. "You could've killed him!" she exclaimed to Jack.

"Yes, I know that, dear. Now let's continue that bloody conversation!" But, once again, she wasn't listening. "Or if you want t' tend t' th' whelp...I guess _that's_ fine too." he sighed and sat down on a boulder.

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* * *

As soon as the music stopped, it was like a spell had been broken. Davy burst into a rage, throwing things about the room, yelling. The crew up on deck cowered in fear, hoping he would stay in his cabin. "Bootstrap" wanted to calm him, but death would be owed to any man who took that fatal walk down to the captain's quarters. Real death. His thoughts were interrupted by the sickening _boom...boom_ of a peg leg. A peg leg that belonged to the captain of the _Flying Dutchman_. He was coming up on deck! All the men sprang into action, not wanting to pay _any _punishment with the captain in this mood. Only "Bootstrap" stood stock-still. "Orders, Cap'n?" he asked as Davy emerged from the lower rooms onto the deck.

"Down." he ordered simply.

"Is it time already?" a crewmember inquired.

"DOWN!" he ordered again, this time shouting.

The crewmen went to do as Davy said. Chaos abounded on the deck of the _Flying Dutchman_ as his order was carried out. Then, Davy laughed as the ship, the crew, and all was submerged to the deep...

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* * *

Jack crossed his legs. "It's a lost cause, darling. How long are ye goin' t' keep tryin' t' revive 'im?" he asked, irritated.

"As long as it takes." Elizabeth answered, her jaw clenched agitatedly because of Jack. She looked at him, frustration etched on her face. Jack winced.

"What a devoted fiance' ye have, whelp." Jack muttered, angry. "Well, I'm goin' into th' jungle." he annouced, standing up and stretching.

"You did this to him and now you're just going to leave?" Elizabeth inquired incredulously.

Jack put his finger to his chin, a far-off look in his eyes, and thought. "Aye." he replied simply and nodded.

Elizabeth opened her mouth to protest, but then quickly shut it. He was no help anyway, so why waste time trying to convince him to stay? He walked off into the jungle, leaving Elizabeth fanning Will and praying for Jack to maybe, just maybe, get lost.

* * *

Will's head throbbed. He couldn't hear anything but far off sounds. His vision was spinning. Then, all of a sudden, his world exploded with sound, he could see clearly, and he felt a hand on his forehead. He reached up and touched the hand and then fingered the ring they wore. It was Elizabeth. He moved his head slightly to the side to see her, but that only brought back the pain. Will hissed in agony. "What happened?" he asked, clenching his teeth to keep from crying out.

Elizabeth smiled a concerned smile. "Jack hit you with a coconut." she answered simply.

"He---why?" Will sat up, but this only caused him more pain. He hollered but kept his sitting position.

Elizabeth's smile faltered and she flinched at his cry, but helped him to stay sitting up. He let out another cry of pain and Elizabeth bit her lip to stop from crying for hearing him yell.

Meanwhile, Jack was striding through the jungle, swinging his arms at his side, not caring what was going on on the beach. Gibbs spotted him. "Cap'n!" he called. he ran over.

Jack leaned back, twiddling his fingers in the air. He wore a weird expression on his face. _But then again, _Gibbs thought. _when does he __not__ look weird?_ "What is it, Mister Gibbs?" Jack asked, wrinkling his nose.

"Don't ye think we need t' be gettin' off this here island? 'Course not in _our_ boat, seein' as we only gots a longboat, which won't do ye no good, being vuln'rable and all." Gibbs explained.

"I see." Jack grinned, flaunting his golden tooth with his lopsided half-mouth smile. "We'll have t' send someone off fer help t' get a bigger ship t' get us off this spit o' land... Poor _Pearl_." he added as an afterthought.

* * *

A few minutes later, a meeting was called. The crew had deftly fashioned a stool out of wood for him to stand on while he made his speech. " 'Ey!" he yelled to get everyone's attention while he climbed up on the stool. Everybody turned to him. "As ye've pro'lly noticed, we're stuck here on this spit o' land with a perfectly _vulnerable_ ship. Now, ye o' sailor's experience can understand we ain't goin' t' be gettin' very far in..." He pointed at the longboat, disgusted. "...that." he spat. "So, our only option is t' send someone out t' get a ship an' save us from the pitiful fate we face if we travel in...that...thing." He grinned. "Any volunteers?"

Everyone kept quiet.

Will elbowed Elizabeth. "We'll go." he whispered when she looked over, startled.

"What? Are you crazy?!" she whispered back fiercely. Will could tell she was scared but hid it with anger.

He looked at her sincerely; desperately. "We can go back to Port Royal." He lowered his voice further and leaned closer. We don't _have_ to come back..."

Elizabeth's eyes widened and her face brightened. She was thinking the same thing as Will. "And this time we'll be married properly?" She raised one eyebrow.

He answered simply with a smile.

"We volunteer!" Elizabeth yelled to Jack suddenly. Jack gave her a weird look. "Will and I."

"Are you..." Jack wrinkled his forehead. "...sure?" He gestured toward the longboat again.

"Absolutely." Will firmly assured him.

"We have our saviours!" he yelled cheerfully and waved his hand toward Will and Elizabeth, who were grinning from ear to ear. Will looked over at Elizabeth and her happiness made him grin even bigger as everyone clapped.

_Yes, Jack. This time I will get my revenge. I will..._


End file.
